Waco Five-0

I finished the hardest race I have done all year. The Waco Five-0. A 50k (31 mile) race through the hills of Cameron Park in Waco.

There were 36 people that started the 50k, I was the 12th one to cross the finish line. It took me 7 hours and 9 minutes to get through the race.

The course was mapped out in 10.5 mile loops - we completed three of them. I ran the first loop in 1:56 - just about a 11 minute mile pace. I walked the steep hills and ran the flats and downhills - after the first loop I was probably in about 5th or 6th place.

About a mile into loop 2, just 11 miles passed and 20 to go, I felt a cramp in my left calf. The temporature was kind of high for March. It was already close to 80 degrees by 10am. I managed the cramps pretty good through the 2nd loop running most of the course, but still walking the hills. At this point I was getting more liberal as to what I was calling a hill. :)

Loop 3 was all about completing the race. I walked the majority of the last 10 miles while still managing the cramps by continuing to consume lots of Gatorade, a salt tablet every 30 minutes and a PowerGel every 45 minutes. I jogged lightly on the flats - the last loop I averaged a 16 minute mile, which is a little faster than I normally walk, so I guess I was still moving OK.

The official results are not out yet, but I expect about 10 of the 36 not to have completed the course. This was a very tough race and one that I'll train for better next year.

I would like to run one more 50k before it gets too hot. There is one in Huntsville on April 1st and one in San Antonio on May 6th. I'll lean toard the one in Huntsville if I think I can be ready in 3 weeks, it is closer and I can drive down the morning of.

I really like to run the trail runs - it is just a great group of people that do ultra-marathons, not a lot of compitition we are all out there to finish and just enjoy beating ourselves up. I'm still very sore two days after this and have now begun to regain the 7 pounds that I lost on Saturday.